The Decline of Portland Continues

Leftist, soft-on-crime, policies have consequences. Small/family businesses can’t absorb the costs of continued theft. Individuals sometimes have little choice but to take matters into their own hands when the police can’t/won’t do anything about rampant theft.

I got this from Nextdoor.com. It’s a leftist organization, so the post will probably be removed at some point:

The fact that I have photos and video footage of the men that stole my truck yet there isn’t a thing the police can do is infuriating to me. I finally reached out to a friend on Portland PD and they explained it all to me. The DA refuses to press any charges on the people that steal cars (even if they run from the police). The DA issued a “statement” that the police are supposed to read to the suspects that basically only says “I know stealing a car is wrong and if I do it again I could be charged”. Then they are released! These guys also stole enough off my credit card (fell out of my purse in to the truck) that it’s considered a Class C felony. Does that matter? Not a bit. To be clear, the police are just as frustrated that they basically have no power in Portland. The public has been so focused on taking away their power then there’s no real solution in place. So where does this leave those of us that had their vehicle stolen? Out on the streets looking for our cars and needing to be ready for whatever craziness may ensue. It’s just a vehicle and I have a comprehensive policy so ultimately I will be fine but this was a core childhood memory. All of the fun things that we ever did were possible because of that truck. I learned how to drive with it. I’ve gotten to have both my girls ride in it daily, hoping one day to teach them to drive it. It’s the principle of it. Idk, I’m just sad about having it taken from me. *I was not close enough to take their pictures personally, otherwise I would’ve just taken the truck. The photos/video were provided to me. **Truck was stolen in Clark County (Vancouver, WA) and the credit card fraud/last known video of truck was Parkrose Hardware in Portland off Sandy. Neither department can do anything other than keep an eye out until I locate the truck.

From a comment there:

My husband’s truck was stolen a year ago. It was found in S.E. Portland with the guy inside the truck. They asked my husband if he wanted to press charges and of course he said yes. The man was taken to jail and released 2 hours later. The truck was full of stolen car parts, license plates, car keys, knives and drugs and the police just handed my husband a pair of gloves and was told to remove what wasn’t his. The police didn’t want it. They knew the D.A. wasn’t going to go through with the charges. My husband called the D.A. and left them a voicemail. Never received a call back.

This is also a good opportunity to publish the following from Instagram:

@coavacoffee closes its Downtown Portland location & has a message for everyone: It is with a heavy heart that we share the following message:

We have decided to permanently close our downtown Portland cafe (1171 SW Jefferson St) with the last full day of operation being this Thursday, April 13.

The team members at this cafe have been on the front line enduring extreme violence and criminal activity on an almost daily basis for the last few years– crime and violence that is only increasing in frequency and severity. From theft, to physical displays of violence, threats of harm, break-ins, window smashing, and repeated traumatic in-cafe incidents where both staff and patrons feel unsafe.

We have brought all the resources to bear that we have access to: doubling up on shifts, locking one entrance, de-escalation training, hazard pay, and heightened management oversight. This has proven to not be a temporary situation—and it is not a situation we can manage. Most importantly, it is not a situation where we can thrive. We cannot continue operation here as we cannot ensure the safety of our team and customers. Our neighboring businesses have seen it, too – and we’ve watched them close one by one over the past few years. Sadly, we now join them.

We opened this cafe in the summer of 2017 and poured our very heart and soul into the design and build-out of this beautiful and unique space. Our retail team has done us proud in every single way and we have the deepest gratitude for the unparalleled hospitality and service that made this cafe shine in downtown Portland. To our team: thank you for everything you have done to make this cafe a wonderful place to work and be and for your bravery and work ethic navigating the daily challenges of working in this part of downtown Portland.

While this is incredibly hard, we know it is the right decision. We’re thankful for the many years of patronage and support from our wonderful customers and look forward to serving you at our other Portland locations.